A Catch of Anti-letters

by Thomas Merton

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128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Thomas Merton, religious name M. Louis, was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist and scholar of comparative religion. In December 1941 he entered the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemani and in May 1949 he was ordained to priesthood. He was a member of the convent of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, near Bardstown, Kentucky, living there from 1941 to his death.
Merton wrote more than 50 books in a period of 27 years, mostly on spirituality, social justice and a quiet pacifism, as well as scores of essays and reviews. Among Merton's most enduring works is his bestselling autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain (1948). His account of his spiritual journey inspired scores of World War II veterans, students, and teenagers to explore offerings of monasteries across the US. It is on National Review's list of the 100 best nonfiction books of the century.
Merton became a keen proponent of interfaith understanding, exploring Eastern religions through his study of mystic practice. His interfaith conversation, which preserved both Protestant and Catholic theological positions, helped to build mutual respect via their shared experiences at a period of heightened hostility. He is particularly known for having pioneered dialogue with prominent Asian spiritual figures, including the Dalai Lama XIV; Japanese writer D.T. Suzuki; Thai Buddhist monk Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, and Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. He traveled extensively in the course of meeting with them and attending international conferences on religion. In addition, he wrote books on Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, and how Christianity is related to them. This was highly unusual at the time in the United States, particularly within the religious orders.

Reviews

[Elise M · Rating 3 out of 5]

So weird, impenetrable, abstract, poetic, confusing, funny, political, and very surprising to anyone who has only encountered Merton by way of his theological texts. A lot of this requires a 'Merton-Lax to English dictionary' to translate what they are actually talking about. Which is a fun challenge. The letters were compiled by Merton himself for publication so there is something intentional about this book. Not exactly sure what though. Intentional playfulness, maybe. Only a must read for a Lax/Merton completionist.

[Alexios Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Astonishing... baffling... that these two fellows wrote letters to each other in this manner for all those years. I mostly felt baffled.